The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1887-04-21
WHAT WAS SHE TO HIM?

Broadway is not a CHEEKY thoroughfare
to the native after three inches Of snow
and o sudden thaw; what must it be to
foreigner just landed who sets out to get
impressions of tho greatest city Of the New
Worldl One day was an atom among
10000 shuffling, skipping and sliding
along the payements, leaping the swollen
cutters and landing, ankle deep, in
treacherous holes covered with bits of ice,
when I overlook couple whom knew
from their dress to be Britons lately ar
rived. A tall man and @ slender girl were
trudging along with that a1niable logged
ness which our cousinry love to oppose
to the worst weather, their every move
ment saying, Behold, we, being English,
care not for rain, snow or hail!
They were, to be sure, we'll provided
against ordinary inclemencies of the air,
but glance at the sOpping trousers of the
gentleman and the draggled skirts of the
lady showed that they were not prepared
for six inches of snow water on Broadway.
Still, they went sturdily forward without a
glance at the cars that passed them and in
different to the Establishments of cabs. /
fancied they were not a little disappointed
to find cabs over here as in London, and
would have been glad to battle against the
storm unchallenged, since after all the
weather was thoroughly original. BY
the way they peered at the street lamps,
which in our town are especially devised
to harass the hurried and weary, it was
plain they were looking for some harbor.
We were near Amity, if I remember
rightly, and just then the gentleman
turned, hesitated, and in q marked Eng
xr,sk nsns,.
his hat, inquiring the way to the New
York hotel. He was an elderly man of
civil manners and an appearance one may
call distinguished. Bowling in Difference
to his companion, gave the information,
and had plenty of time to examine a face
that many would consider beautiful. For
the young lady fixed on ME eyes fine in
themselves, which Wee now wide with
that innocent curiosity which strangers
show toward the first specimens of ma
ton they have come to see. If l diOned
rightly, she was busy deciding, firstly, if
I were an American; secondly, to what
class belonged; thirdly, my age; fourthly,
whether l was p type" or not-and SO
OH. Yet somewhere under this pitiless
examination there was sadness not at
all in keeping with the brilliant, almost
blowsed, color of her cheeks, whipped red
by the sleet that still filled the air. re-
ceived the impression of q face rich in
color, noble in expression, but perhaps ex.
aggerated in the upper line of the nose,
where it lifted in a way between the eyes
that suggested cruelty, especially in later
life, after the glamor of youth should de-
part and self be left behind bare Of the
charms of girlhood. But as passed ON
it occurred to me that here was coun-
tenance that would prove lucky posses
sion to an actress, supposing its owner
had the heart and brain to express through
it the imaginings of poets, Then other
matters filled my mind.
As I ran into the university, where /
then had chambers, my friend Raymond
was coming out; he called to me to fol-
low to Larru's, on University place, if
were not dining out. Soin course of time
Joined him, finding at his table a fresh
faced young fellow with crisp, curling
hair, whom he introduced to me as law
student in his office. Larru's, by the way,
was famous once for red wine, cookery
and Italian opera singers-the first genu'
inc, the second delicious and the third
trifle greasy. One drawback was Nine.
Larru, a tun in shape, who thought it
necessary to the success of her restaurant
to visit the tables in turn and relate to
each group the same anecdote OF an ap-
palling vulgarity and q Stiffness complete.
Then she would return to the eaisse and
quarrel with an ancient husband who
might have stepped as notary from the
French comic stage, his vituperation
sounding shrill against the grumbling
bass of the virago When 1 found the
youth with Raymond to be English it re-
Ia1
began to generaliZe on the strong race
types among the English; for, on examin-
ing his features, could not fail to be
struck with the certainty that some day
those young traits would enlarge and en-
noble themselves into something very like
the distinction of the gray haired gentle
man | had met half an hour before.
intended to ellude to the couple. but talk
ran back and forward so quickly that
whenever it occurred to me the moment
was not apt.
They were discussing suicide which
filled the papers just then, and can hear
yet the joyous note in the young English
mans voice when, bringing his hand
down on the table, he said:
"Well, Raymond. if did have to do so
insane q thing as to take my own life,
would not choose the best carpet of my
best friend and protector in q foreign land
on which to let my life blood out!' >
We laughed and Raymond said:
"Pray don't. My rooms in the tower
are gloomy enough as it is, but to have
your ghost haunting them would make
them impossible. would close them up
and never use them again"
1t turned out that, in order to save the
young man the cost of lodging, Raymond,
with that open hearted generosity for
which we love him, had put his bachelor
apartments at his disposal until his friend
could make way in the law. Raymond
was able to do this without excessive self
denial, seeing he had married recently
and occupied coy quarters with a chaFm-
ing little wife in the apartment house over
the way.
"Then you are my neighbor," said I.
81 have the companion tower, and when
warm weather comes we can smoke to-
gether behind the battlements of our big
roof and watch in sympathy the comedy
of spring unroll itself among the treetops
of Washington square"
At that our young man fell suddenly
thoughtful, sighed, if am not mistaken,
and murmured: "When warm weather
comes?''-
HUI huOW why tAO IdlutSoV Stii VI
q shudder ran through me as he said this
to himself.
Raymond and began talking of affairs
in which he had no interest, and presently
he announced that he had an early en-
gagement that evening, taking up as he
said so The Evening Post, and glancing at
1t without much interest. In moment
felt he had given start, the hand hold
ing paper between us and his face
clenched convulsively; he rose and walked
unsteadily to his coat, put it on, laid
dollar by his plate, and, turning for one
moment toward us face I thought
looked rather CHASTITY, bowed and was
gone.
1 looked an interrogation at Raymond,
who said:
she has had some trouble at home. and